2019-2020 Naperville Park District Preschool Blog

The preschool classes are working on the unit called Wind and Water. In this unit the children learn about different types of weather. We would like to share a few simple science activities that go along with weather that you may enjoy doing with your child.

Snow Storm in a Jar

Materials Needed:

·         Jar

·         White Paint

·         Baby oil

·         Glitter

·         Alka Seltzer

·         Water

·         Bowl Spoon

Directions:

1.      Fill jar ¾ fill of baby oil

2.      Pour white paint and water into the bowl and stir it together

3.      Pour paint/water mixture into jar

4.      Add glitter

5.      Allow glitter and paint to settle in the bottom of the jar

6.      Put in Alka Seltzer

Watch the snow storm start

7.      Add more Alka Seltzer to make it snow harder

The snow will go over the jar so be sure to place a towel on the table to help with the mess

Cloud in Jar

Materials Needed:

·         Hot water

·         Jar with a lid

·         Ice

·         Hairspray

Directions:

1.      Pour hot water into the jar

2.      Quick spray of hairspray

3.      Place the ice on the lid and place it on top of the jar

4.      Watch cloud form in the jar

5.      Lift the lid the cloud will escape

Raining Cotton Balls

Materials Needed:

·         Jar

·         Small plastic cup that fits inside the jar

·         Cotton balls

·         Optional blue dye for water

Directions:

1.      Poke holes in the bottom in the plastic cup

2.      Place it inside the jar

3.      Fill the plastic cup with cotton balls

4.      Pour water into cup and watch it rain

5.      If you place your hand over the cup the rain with stop. Once you remove your hand the rain will begin again

We hope you enjoy these fun experiments.

As always, thank you for sharing your children with us.

Sherri Swanson

Early Childhood Coordinator

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

I found this great article about  meaningful play that I wanted to share with everyone.

Sherri Swanson
Early Childhood Coordinator

Five Essentials to Meaningful Play

By Marcia L. Nell and Walter F. Drew

“One of my clearest childhood memories is slithering through the tall grass like a snake with my brother and sister.”

When you think back on your childhood, what happy play memories come to mind? Adults today tend to think back on their childhood play memories with nostalgia and often call them the “good old days.” Memories of joyful and meaningful play experiences help bind families together emotionally, even long after children are grown. Are our children experiencing the same kind of joy, meaning, and family bonding in their play?

Here are five elements essential to meaningful play that create those rich memories we treasure:

1. Children make their own decisions.
When children choose how to play for themselves, they experience freedom in making those choices. They also begin to see connections between choice and the consequences or results of that choice. The type of toys or materials parents offer can help their children make more meaningful decisions. Open-ended materials can be used in many ways so children can decide for themselves how to use them. For example, a child can imagine a block to be a fire truck or any number of things. A toy fire truck, on the other hand, is usually used as a fire truck. Foam pieces, little wooden sticks, ribbon scraps, and other reusable resources are all open-ended materials that inspire creative thinking and delight when children use them to make something no one has ever made before.

2. Children are intrinsically motivated.
The impulse to play comes from a natural desire to understand the world. This play impulse is as strong as your child’s desire for food or sleep.1 It is this intrinsic motivation that allows a child to regulate her own feelings and desires in order to keep playing. Because children eventually find it more important to be part of play with their friends than to satisfy their own wants and needs at that moment, children learn self-control. And self-control has been shown to lead to success in later years, especially in today’s information age, where distractions are part of daily life.2

3. Children become immersed in the moment.
In true play, children are so fully engaged that they lose awareness of their surroundings, time, and space. In this risk-free atmosphere where reality is suspended, children have the security and safety they need to experiment, try new ideas, and investigate the laws of nature. Although they are immersed in their play, children still can recognize reality versus fantasy, something parents often wonder about.

4. Play is spontaneous, not scripted.
Often, play is totally unplanned. Other times, play is planned but a child impulsively makes a change. One child changes his mind, or perhaps a toy does not cooperate. This sense of the unknown provides children with opportunities to develop flexibility in their thinking and decision making, which is a vital life skill.

5. Play is enjoyable.
Play always has an emotional response attached to it. Without this emotional connection, the experience is simply an activity; it is not PLAY. Enjoyment is the direct result of engaging in play. It is FUN! These five essential elements of play outline why play provides your child with a rich experience. And isn’t that what we want for our children, to develop play memories that will become the “good old days”?

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

December 20, 2019

All the classes have completed the unit on friends. I hope everybody enjoyed the showcase. I know the children are always excited to show everything they have done.  In this unit they the children read stories about friendship and what friends like to do together. They drew pictures of their friends and talked about what makes a good friend. The Pre-K classes made a piñata and the fours and Pre-K classes even made made pizza as a snack to go along with the story Little Red Hen Makes Pizza.

When the children return from winter break, we will be starting our unit on Wind and Water. Through literature in this unit, we will discuss different kinds of weather. We will research different types of animals and their habitats.

Mark Your Calendar:

December 20-January 6^th- Winter Breaks

January 7 & 8- classes Resume

January 14- Priority Registration begins for the 2020-2021 school year

Jan 20- No school Martin Luther King Day

February 13 & 14- showcase for Wind and Water unit

Sherri Swanson 
Early Childhood Coordinator

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

Naperville Park District Preschool Blog

November 8, 2019

All classes have officially ended our first unit on families. I hope everybody enjoyed the learning showcase. I know the children were very excited to show you all of their hard work. Next week we will begin the unit on friends. In this unit the students will explore the concepts of friendship, how to be a good friend and ways to resolve conflicts with friends. Through the literature in this unit, the children will learn about the importance of being who you are, helping a friend, enjoying special times with friends, and cooperating with one another. In addition to the literature the children will also work on identifying rhyming words, vocabulary words, comprehension skills, and beginning letter sound associations.

Favorite Preschool Recipe: Fake Snow

Ingredients:

3 cups baking soda

½ cup of white hair conditioner

Bowl

Directions:

Mix the baking soda and conditioner  together using your hand (not a spoon). If it feels too sticky, add more baking soda. If it feels too dry, add more conditioner.

Allow your child to play with it. It will feel cool to the touch and it will mold together so your child will be able to make a snowman inside.

Mark Your Calendars:

 No school from November 25^th -November 29^th for Thanksgiving Break

Parent Teacher Conferences for the 4’s and Pre-K classes December 5^th and 6^th

As always thank you for sharing your children with us.^.

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

Welcome to the Naperville Park District Preschool Blog

The first weeks of school can be frightening for some children. It may be the first time separating from his or her caregiver. We are happy to report that the children all have made that separation. They are beginning to build a relationship with their teachers and the other children in the class. The children have also been working very hard learning their schedule and different routines for the classroom. For example there are times when we sit on the carpet like a fried egg and other times when we sit like a scrambled egg.  We have also spent time learning how to get our snack, line up, and head to the gross motor room or outside. We are focusing on the children’s independence skills. We have also introduced our three main learning agreements to the children. They are: We will be Safe, We will be Learners, and We will be Respectful. To help the children understand these agreements, we use different characters and make up stories during problem solving story time. The children enjoy the characters and brainstorming how to solve problems with their peers.

We are excited to be officially starting our first unit on Monday. We begin each school year talking about families. Why, you may ask? It is the one thing that all children know something about. All children enjoy talking about their family from the number of people to the letters in their names. The unit letter gave some great extension ideas if you are looking for them.

We look forward to a year of learning, laughter and fun. Thank you for sharing your children with us.

Sherri Swanson 
Early Childhood Coordinator

2019-2020 Preschool Blog

Throughout the school year we ill be sharing some of our favorite recipes and articles with you. I hope you enjoy the first one as much as the children do.

Sherri Swanson

Early Childhood Coordinator

Favorite Play Dough Recipe

Ingredients 

2 cups of flour

2 tablespoons of vegetable, baby or coconut oil

1/2 cup of salt

2 tablespoons of cream of tartar

1 to 1.5 cups of boiling water

Gel food coloring drops (optional)

drops of glycerin (optional)

Method

> mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in large mixing bowl

> add food coloring to the boiling water and then add it to the dry ingredients

>stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined ball

> add glycerin drops

> allow to cool then take it out of bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all the stickiness is gone. 

> if it is still sticky add a little more flour until just right.

Store it in an air tight container.